Do not own General Hospital or any of the characters.

The Flame of Franco

Trouble All Around...

Jason had been right about Alexis. She had been the one to hit Kiefer on the side of the road. After Sam had left for the hospital, Spinelli had been able to pull up footage from a security camera on the side of the road. He had been hit by a Buick, a light silver one. After some effort on Spinelli's part, he had been able to zoom in on the driver's side to see the face. It was a woman of Alexis's features.

Then later on that night, Sam had confirmed it. She had told Jason how her mother had confessed to her about being the driver who had ran Kiefer over. Alexis had told Sam how she had walked in on Krissy lying on the floor bruised and bleeding. She had panic and brought her to the hospital. When driving, she had seen Kiefer walking, she had freaked out and hit him before driving away. She had told Jason in hopes that he could cover it up. Her sister didn't need their mom going off to prison at the moment. Alexis already had one crime on her, she didn't need another one.

Jason just lay with Sam in bed as the morning sun poured into the room. She was still asleep as he shifted slightly, being careful not to awake her as he sat up. He wanted this moment to stay forever as he looked down at her and smiled. He knew the moment that he got out of that bed, this peacefulness would go away. That his phone would go off and it would either be Carly, Sonny or someone else needing his help. He now also had to deal with this Alexis thing. He just wished that he could take Sam away for a while and forget about everything else. But he knew that he was needed here.

And just as he predicted, a few moments later his phone vibrated against the nightstand. Letting out a sigh, he reached for the phone. He glanced down at the caller display for picking up. It was Carly calling.

"Hello," he whispered into the phone as he glanced over at Sam, making sure he had not awaken her before standing up and moving into the bathroom.

"Jase, I need you," spoke a panicked Carly on the other line.

"What happened?" he asked in a calm voice. He hoped whatever she was calling him about, wasn't important, just her freaking out like usual.

"It's Morgan. He got pulled out of class this morning by a social worker. I'm at the PCPD! I nee your help!" she explained quickly on the phone.

"Okay, I'm coming," he said before hanging up the phone. Heading back into the bedroom, he looked over towards the bed. Where Sam was still sleeping. He then began to quickly get dressed in yesterday's jeans and threw on a clean black t.

Just as he was about to leave the room, Sam awoke. "Jason," she whispered as she lifted her head off the pillow and appeared at him.

"Hey Baby," he whispered smiling at her. He then made his way over to the bed and leaned down and kissed her slightly on the mouth.

Sam looked up at him puzzled, "Are you going somewhere?" she asked.

"Carly called, she needs me, something about Morgan," he whispered to her. He didn't want her to worry. "I will be back soon, " he added before kissing her once again. He didn't want to leave her.

Sam gave him a small smile at this. They continued to look at each other for a moment longer before Jason stood up and made his way back towards the door. "I'll put the coffee on before I leave," he spoke over his shoulder , he appeared over at her once last time before disappearing into the hallway.

"Carly, what happened?" asked Jason as he arrived at the PCPD and made his way over to Carly, who was in a heated argument of sorts with Dante.

"Jason," cried Carly as she looked away from the cop and over at Jason.

Dante looked over at the him too. He didn't look too pleased to see him. All three of them were silent for a moment, before Dante excused himself. He was going to go make a phone call.

"Carly, what happened?" asked Jason again in a low whisper at Dante walked away and over to his desk.

"I got a call from Morgan's principle, A social worker and a cop showed up and took him out of school," she explained as rage bubbled in her voice. She was anger like a mother bear. "I thought it was Dante, but he said he had nothing to do with it. that's what you walked in on," she added, her voice calming slightly. "Why the hell are they doing this?" she asked towards Jason.

"Because he knows alot," whispered Jason, making sure that they weren't overheard.

"But no one knows he does!" whispered Carly back harshly. She didn't understand why her little boy was being dragged into this mess as well.

"I know that, but they could use that to their advantage," he explained to her, " Claire Welsh set this into motion as a show boat. Either for affect or to set Sonny off again. "

"And he will!" cried Carly, "You know he will Jason! This is potential disaster!" she stopped talking briefly as a cop walked by before resuming. "And Morgan is such a trusting little boy, who knows what he will say when manipulated in the right way. "

"Well hopefully, He will know what not to say," replied Jason in a low voice. He knew his Godson and knew he would want to protect his older brother. But he was still just a kid. If asked the right question, Morgan could tell it all.

"That's the very reason Jax brought Claire Welsh on this case. She will do anything to win, even take advantage of a Kid!" spoke Carly angrily at her husband and the lawyer he had brought in.

Jason ran a hand through his hair, he was very tired all the sudden. He hadn't had his morning coffee just yet. "I was never a fan of Jax but I'm sure he never knew that she would take advantage of Morgan!"

"Don't defend him!" cried out Carly suddenly with shock at Jason for speaking something good about Jax. She loathed that man now.

"I'm not!" stated Jason, looking over at his friend.

"Don't defend him!" she cried again, "Yes he didn't know what she would do but he didn't care!" She then stormed off in the direction of Dante's desk. She wanted her kid and she wanted him now.

Dante had just finished his phone call, when Carly approached him.

"Where the hell is my kid?" she asked at him. She was staring down at him, she wasn't going anywhere until he told her.

Dante just looked at her for a moment, before sighing. "He's at the courthouse, witness room."

Carly at hearing this was out the door, she wasn't staying around any longer then she had too.

"CARLY!" cried out Jason after her as she sudden left the PCPD. He knew she was on the warpath and it wasn't a good thing, "Wait a second!"

Just as they arrived at the courthouse, Jason tried to stop Carly from entering once again. "You can't go in there!" he told Carly, grabbing her arm and stopping her in her tracks. Sonny's trial had started a two weeks ago. Michael was relying on his mother's testimony. If Carly walked into that room, blazing fire like she was, it would ruin all their hard work.

"He will tell!" cried Carly to him. "He won't mean too but he will!"

"You can't go in that courtroom!" cried Jason, a firmness in his voice, "Making a big scene and killing your creditability as a witness, you are Sonny and Michael's last hope!"

Carly just shook her head at this. She knew that Jason was right. But before they could do anything else, Dante stormed passed them and into the courtroom. He could not stand by and watching his little brother get used. They both looked at each other confused at this before rushing into the courtroom after him. They were curosse to see what he was doing. As they stood in the door way, they looked on as Dante made his way into the room. He was yelling at the judge.

"We are suppose to be representing the justice system. So where's the justice!," he cried pointing to Morgan, who was on the witness stand. "Making a twelve year old boy testify against his own father! PULLING HIM OUT OF SCHOOL, WITHOUT HIS PARENT'S KNOWLEDGE AND DRAGGING HIM TO COURT! PUTTING HIM ON THE STAND, SO THAT THE PROSCUTOR CAN TRY AND TRICK HIM AMPUCATING HIS OWN FATHER!"

"THE LAW IS ATTEND TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT!" he then once again pointed to Morgan. Dante was now standing up to where the judge sat. The two men were eye to eye. "TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHTS OF THE WEAK ARE UNHELD! WELL YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE OPPOSITE! YOU ARE ABUSING YOUR POSITIONS AS OFFICERS OF THE COURT, ABSTRUCTING JUSTICE AND PROTRAYING YOUR OATH TO WITH HOLD THE LAW!"

No one spoke for a moment, letting the shock of what had just happened sink in. Jason didn't know what to say or to think. He had never seen Dante act like this. He was impressed a little.

However, the judge did not seem unfazed by Dante's grand speech he had just made. With coldness in his eyes and voice, he looked down at Dante's as he spoke, "Very moving Detective. Also bleakly unfounded and completely illegal!" The judge then turned towards his bailiff. "Bailiff take this man into custody for interrupting court! "

Dante was then handcuffed and read his rights as he was escorted out of the courtroom.

As Dante was taken away, Morgan began to yell at the judge. "THIS ISN'T RIGHT! DANTE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! HE IS A COP NOT A PRISONER!" cried the young boy, who was on his feet now. Carly then took this as her chance to take her son, before Jason or anyone else could stop her.

"Mrs. Jacks this is a court of law!" cried the judge, hitting his malt as she pulled her son off of the witness stand. "YOUR SON IS NOT FINISHED TESTIFYING!"

"My son, was taken out of school without my consent and without my permission. HE IS A CHILD! and he is upset! And he is not going to do this anymore. So you can either arrest me now or I'm taking my kid home!"

"The court yield's at this one request from the witness's mother. You may take your son home, Mrs. Jacks!" spoke the judge.

"Thank you," Carly then took Morgan by the hand and the two of them left the room, followed out by Jason.

Jason made sure that Carly and Morgan got safely home before heading over to the restaurant. He was suppose to be meeting Sonny there. He wasn't looking forward to the meeting. It had been a long morning already. It was just past one in the afternoon and he hadn't eaten yet. He couldn't wait to get back to the penthouse to see Sam. She had texted him a few times already asking when he would be home. She had gone to visit her sister at the hospital for a bit. But it painted her too much to see her sister like that. She had tried to talk to Dr. Winters but that had not gone over too well.

Sonny was seated in his office as Jason walked through the door. "I can't stay long," he stated as he placed his phone into his pocket of his jeans. He had just received another text, this time from Dr. Winters. She wanted to talk to him about Sam. He was suppose to phone her. He didn't like the sound of this. He knew that Sam was with drawing from him. And she was confused. He just didn't know how to handle it anymore, anything. Everything was becoming just too much for him.

Sonny didn't seem to hear him however as he launched into what had happened in the Court after him and Carly had left. The judge had quick dismissed the court for the day after Morgan had left. "The judge said that Claire could recall Morgan. I don't want my son badgered on the stand. If Claire were a man, I would have it arranged for an accident to happen..." His voice drifted off for a moment.

"We can't do that! She is a Fed!" pointed out Jason, it was way too risky to kill the lawyer now. "It would be suicide!"

"WELL I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!" cried out Sonny in outrage. He was just as lost as Jason felt about this whole thing. They were both up to their necks in lies. Just then they were interrupted by someone coming through the front door of the restaurant. "Sonny" cried a female voice.

It was Claire Welsh.

Both Sonny and Jason looked at each other, before Sonny suddenly stood up from his seat and walked out of his office.

"My, what serious faces," spoke Claire to the two men as they came out of the office and appeared over at her.

"What do you want?" asked Sonny, not taking any of her crap.

"I have come to make you a deal!" she spoke looking at him.

"What deal?" asked Sonny.

"To have you plea guilty to five counts of RICO violations and involuntary manslaughter. You be sentenced to only 10 years and be eligible for parole in five," explained the lawyer to the mobster. She was hoping for him to take this deal, so that they could finally end this madness. "You will be out of those Claudia charges and none of your children will have to testify against you!" she added, she smiled smuggly at Sonny after this. She knew that she had gotten him with that. She knew how important his children were to him. "The murder charges would go away. you would be out in five year give or take. You would be out in time for Morgan's high school graduation." She added.

"Don't mention Morgan's name to me, after what you had done to him today," spoke Sonny, his voice was bitterness as he locked eyes with Claire.

"Do you want the deal or not?" asked Claire once again to him. She was only offering it once.

Sonny could help but laugh in her face at this, "I know what's going on. Jax came to you and threatened to pull you off the case after putting Morgan on the stand. You only want me to take the deal so that you don't have a lost on your recorders!"

"I didn't mean to bring little children into this," spoke Claire.

"But you did," answered Sonny in a low cold voice, "because your so desperate to win." He hated this woman that stood before him. "If you had any children of your own, you would have never put my son on the stand like that."

"Look, I would prefer not to bring your children into this but if I have to, I will!" stated the lawyer, taking a step closer to where Sonny stood. She wasn't afraid of him. "So what's it going to be, deal or no deal?"

"Sonny will be making no deals without Diane present," spoke Jason, who was standing behind Sonny. He blue eyes staring coldly at the lawyer.

"You don't need her," replied Claire, "My deal is very simple. It benefits both sides. That's why I came directly to you. "

"You came directly to me because you can't beat Diane," spoke Sonny.

"You can take the deal or not, it's up to you. My offer stands until tomorrow. If not , I will bring Morgan back onto the stand!"

"By tomorrow, you will be off the case," replied Sonny.

"You know what, I might even bring Kristina in to testify," she threatened to him. he did not like the sound of this. Kristina had already been through enough. She was an emotional wreck at the moment. She wouldn't be able to handle being on the stand. "Look, you have until tomorrow!" And with that the lawyer left the two men to be.

Jason thought about taking the deal himself, in Sonny's place. He knew that Sonny wouldn't be able to last one second in prison. But he knew he couldn't take it either. Sam needed him still. He couldn't abandon her yet. Besides Sonny wouldn't let him take his place for him. Leaving Sonny to ponder his decision, Jason left the restaurant and decided to head on home. He knew that Sam was waiting for him there.

Okay I know that was bad ending but more will be coming soon.

Thanks for reading!